Tiberius Caesar -- A Play in Five Acts. Ferdinand Dugue
the name of the twelve gread Gods—
ROMULUS
If he doesn’t shut up, throw him in the Tiber—
CROWD
Yes, yes.
SENECA
Mercy, my good friends, mercy.
CROWD
In the Tiber! In the Tiber!
NERVA (appearing)
Stop!
ALL
Nerva!
AURELIUS
Yes, citizens! The only man who is worthy of being your leader.
ROMULUS
Silence, now, and let everyone form up.
(To Nerva)
Approach, Lord, come confide to Plautus your message to the land of the shadows.
NERVA
When Tiberius strikes our friends and our neighbors he forbids regrets, he makes a crime of our tears. He orders the mother whose son he kills to put laurels on her door. He orders the son whose father he has killed to kiss his merciful hand; as for me, I declare that I honor the victims of Tiberius, that I approach them without fear, and that I hold them as sacred! Allow me then, O Death, to shake your cold hand. Let me turn your livid face toward the stars. Hear, O Death, my funereal goodbyes! Tell Julius Caesar that under Tiberius, barbarians insult the frontiers of the Empire, and that Rome agonizes in blood. Tell Augustus to send us from the depth of his tomb, a breath of honor and justie, to revive in us the faith of our ancestors, and to make Tiberius quake in his infamous island. Tell the Republicans, those vanquished at Pharsalus, that we have all sworn on your cadaver, eternal hate to tyranny!
ALL
Eternal hate!
ROMULUS
Listen—that marching, that noise of arms!
CROWD (with terror)
The Praetorians!
NERVA
Yes, the Praetorians—who are with us! The Praetorians that Caligula is leading to us!
(The old geezer makes a violent gesture)
KIOMARA (low)
Patience, will you!
(Numerous soldiers invade the square)
CROWD
Long live Caligula! Long live the Praetorians!
CALIGULA
Block all the streets!
(Turning to the Patricians)
In the name of Tiberius, I arrest you!
NERVA
Treason!
CALIGULA
You understand that resistance is useless.
KIOMARA (low to old geezer)
There! You see!
(The Old Geezer strides forward and throws back the hood that hid his face.)
ALL (recognizing him)
Tiberius!
TIBERIUS (to Caligula)
By Hercules! Now there’s a fine nephew.
CALIGULA (bending his knee)
Caesar!
TIBERIUS
Hug me, will you, my dear Caius!
(aside)
Someone must have warned him I was in Rome.
(looking at Kiomara)
She, perhaps!
CALIGULA (aside)
Kiomara didn’t deceive me.
(aloud)
Caesar, my devotion, my respect.
TIBERIUS
Fine, fine. I know your heart.
NERVA (to Caligula)
Do you deny that this very morning you conspired with us?
PATRICIANS
Yes, yes.
CALIGULA
I feigned to conspire.
TIBERIUS
He feigned, the dear child, and you suspected nothing. He’s clever at feigning. —Yes, it’s me, it’s really me, old Tiberius, that was thought to be at Capri, who comes like this to surprise his good people. Eh, what? Your heart didn’t tell you I was in Rome, in your midst.? I’ve been here for the last two days in this disguise, alone with Kiomara, my faithful Gaul. I haven’t wasted my time, I swear to you. I heard everything, saw all, guessed all, and I know better than ever the feelings of the people of Rome for their master. You see me filled with gratitude.
NERVA (aside)
He plays with his prey before tearing it to piees.
AURELIUS
By Jove, I really feel his claws.
TIBERIUS
Alas! Why is there a cloud in my sky? What, my good friends, you conspire against me?
PORCIUS
Mercy, Tiberius, mercy.
(He falls to his knees with Seneca and several others.)
AURELIUS
Wretched cowards!
TIBERIUS
Baseness after treachery. Indeed, they’re all the same.
NERVA
Don’t insult those whose heads remain unbowed, whose eyes look you in the face!
TIBERIUS
Right! Now there are the traditions of old Rome. I recognize there, indeed, probity, justice, heroic severity—in a word, the Republican Nerva!
(aside)
All my hate for this one!
(aloud)
They say you have a charming daughter—present her to me.
NERVA
You won’t tear her from the altar of Vesta.
(Blandine enters with Chariclea.)
BLANDINE
Father!
NERVA
Wretched hild!
TIBERIUS
Charming indeed.
BLANDINE (on her knees to Tiberius)
Caesar, prove that you are master by pardoning—
TIBERIUS
An innocent and sweet girl an disarm the powers of the earth. Well yes, I pardon. I’m doing even more, I’m taking you all to Capri where we will celebrate peace “en famille”—in a magnificent feast. You know, Caesar has this in common with Jupiter, he gets bored, sometimes. I need to distract myself and I cannot find a better opportunity to cheer myself up a little.
ROMULUS
If I could just squirm away—
(A Praetorian pushes him back brutally)
TIBERIUS
Ah, it’s you, Citizen of Rome! You accuse me of being miserly with spectacles; I will give you an astonishing one in which you shall have a role as an actor. As for the will of Augustus,